Hoping I'm worried to soon

[sawilliams]

One of my girls has stopped laying and for the life of me I can't figure out why. She started about 6 weeks ago consistently everyother day. In note on day 6 (maybe 7, as I can't recall if she laid last Friday or Saturday) with no eggs.

Yes I've check other posts
No she is not molting
No she does not appear sick
No she does not appear to be egg bound
No there have not been any recent changes or reasons for her to be stressed
Sunlight is at least 10 a day and getting better, no coop lights
And no she does not appear to be trying to go roosterish

I put some golf balls in the boxes yesterday to see if it might encourage her.

They are on grower with oyster shell available, they get free range in the yard about 1-2 hours every other day or so. I've stopped giving treats to make sure it's not a diet issue (dinner scraps in the morning usually salad veggie mix).

I can only have 6 chickens due to subdivision laws and only have/had 3 of 6 laying currently so for one to stop is a pretty big hit right now. I am fully concerned that it's an internal issue ovaries or something.

Is there anything I can do or change still to help her? How long should I wait before I give up hope?

 

[CascadiaRiver]

You've covered ally our bases it seems! The only thing I can think of is EE's tend to do that, they stop a few weeks after laying and eventually begin again...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

What breed is she, I didn't see it, but some first time layers will do that this time of year, the real laying season will start in February to April and they should then lay more steady until the heat of summer slows some down.

 

[sawilliams]

She's mixed, the tan one. I'm hoping she'll pick back up soon. My other 3 should start laying in February maybe March for 2 of them

 

[Blooie]

I think the hardest thing for us all to learn is they aren't Pez dispensers...at least it was hard for me to learn. Every time there was a drop in egg production I was in panic mode. But you know, sometimes they just quit for a spell, especially this time of year. Optimum light length for egg production is 14 - 16 hours, and right now that isn't possible. That's why a lot of people use supplemental light during the winter months. She should pick it up again soon, and get back to her old self. It just took her a bit to realize that it was still getting dark early!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Her comb is big and red so I would expect a stop and start, mine will stop laying a day or two after a temperature drop, then resume a week or two later, weather is partially why laying isn't always regular this time of year.

 

[Blooie]

True, true, OHLD!

 

[aart]

I think the hardest thing for us all to learn is they aren't Pez dispensers...at least it was hard for me to learn.

True...lol!...not vending machines either.
Some birds are just not steady layers.

Has she laid any odd eggs in her first 6 weeks of laying?
As long as she's eatingdrinkingpoopingactive as usual...all you can do is wait and see.

If you can only have limited number of birds and are dead set on having a steady stream of eggs, you should get sexlinks or leghorns or another high production breed.
.....and think about what you'll do next fall/winter when they molt at about 18 months and may not lay all winter.

 

[User395221]

they get free range in the yard about 1-2 hours every other day or so.

I just found a stash of eggs under the bushes. One of my girls had made herself a nest just for her. Have you had a good scout around?

 

[sawilliams]

I'm not worried about a steady stream of eggs we know to expect a drop or stop next winter. I just wasn't expecting one to stop so soon after starting

All of her eggs so far have been normal. No odd shapes or sizes and no shell-less. Infact the other one we got the same time didn't have any odd eggs either, she's a really strong layer at 6-7 a week. The oldest was actually a stray my sister found and possibly a production red dropped from 5-6 in a row when we found her to every other day over winter. She started picking back up same time marshall decided to stop.

As for thier free range time I've walked the yard there isn't anywhere for any of them to hide eggs. And right now I have to watch them becuase I just started planting in the garden and there is no fence to keep them out.

We are up to 10 days no eggs, just hoping she starts back up when the other 3 start laying